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Upcoming Events | Meet the Instructors | Plant Archive | Mushroom Archive
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Brick Caps (Hypholoma lateritium) are edible mushrooms that can be found on hardwood stumps and deadwood from August-November. They can be found throughout the United States but are most common in the Northeast.
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Brick caps grow in bouquet-like, dense, tight clusters. The cap has a brick red color in the center, fading to a lighter color at the margins. Young specimens have a partial veil covering the gills. Gills are crowded and cream-colored when young, developing purplish or brownish hues with age. Spore print is purplish brown.
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Brick caps, called “Kuritake” in Japan, often grow in large groups. They are edible but can develop a bitter flavor when old or buggy. Young specimens have a slightly nutty flavor. Stems should be removed as they are tough. Caps can be cooked similarly to white button mushrooms.
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Brick caps must be differentiated from the poisonous Sulfur tuft (Hypholoma fasciculare). Sulfur tufts have a yellowish cap, while brick caps will always have reddish caps. Sulfur tufts also have yellowish-green gills.
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Written by Amy Demers, founder of the Connecticut Foraging Club. To learn more about foraging in Connecticut, check out our upcoming classes.